Racing the B.A.A. 5K -- an Exciting New Addition to Marathon Weekend

Last year's day-before-the-Boston Marathon was such a rousing success, with the running of the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials on a downtown loop course on Sunday morning, that Boston officials decided to stage an encore of sorts this year. Their plan: a people's 5K race and a series of road miles, high school and elite, all with a finish line under the famous Boston Marathon banner at Copley Square.I ran the 5K a couple of hours ago and watched the road miles. And here's the verdict: Both were fun, festive, and much appreciated by those who participated and/or merely spectated.I planned the 5K as just a solo hard effort--one I needed badly after a disappointing 21:30 several weeks ago. But things got more interesting when I unexpectedly bumped into a couple of friends at the start line. Greg Meyer, winner of the 1983 Boston Marathon, was his usual joke-cracking self; he wouldn't admit to a planned pace. "Can't tell what you're going to run when you're carrying an extra 20 pounds of fine Michigan winter fat," he said, fingering a slight bulge at the waist. (That's us in the photo above.)New York Road Runners CEO Mary Wittenberg doesn't joke around. She's a serious competitor at everything she does, including her racing, as I was soon to find out. Of course, I knew that Wittenberg was a 1980s winner of the Marine Corps Marathon, but the last time I had seen her run, she had been hobbling with injuries. I didn't imagine she was racing for time this morning."What pace are you going to run?" she asked me."About 6:45s, I hope.""I was thinking 7:00s, but I might try to stick with you," she said.At the half mile, Wittenberg blew past me as we started the uphill around Boston Common. At the mile mark, she had me by about 25 meters, 6:45 to 6:50. I thought I might catch her on the down side of the Common, but it turns out she moves well on the downhills. She increased the gap between us.Okay, this was turning into a bit of a challenge. I had the advantage of course. I could see Mary's bright blue singlet ahead of me, and I drew a mental "X" on the back of it.I caught her at the 2 mile, 13:35. I gave her an encouraging yell, as she did me, and then I cruised past. That final mile, I was thinking of only one thing--wasn't it going to be great to turn onto Hereford St. and then Boylston St. after just 2 miles instead of 26 miles of the bruising Boston Marathon course.And it was. The sun was shining, there were runners going hard all around me, even a good smattering of fans at the roadside. Best of all, I still had functioning legs of my own, unlike a typical Boston Marathon run, which crushes your legs before you get to Boylston.I picked up the pace a little, and darted under the line in 20:41. Mary followed a few seconds later, brimming with excitement over the race. "This was fantastic," she said. "This course could hold 10,000 runners, and they might have that in a couple of years. I was really surprised to see spectators on the course. That was impressive."A few minutes later, as Wittenberg and I started a cooldown run, we heard Joan Samuelson's voice over the PA system at the finish line. Samuelson, who had run a sub-2:50 in the Marathon Trials a year earlier, had just finished the 5K in 17:42. Other Boston Marathon champions had also run the 5K, including Neal Cusack (26:59), Lorraine Moller (26:58), Ingrid Kristiansen (22:31), and Meyer (20:58) and myself."This is a great new tradition for the Boston Marathon," Samuelson said. "It makes the weekend all-inclusive by adding an event that the friends and family of Boston Marathoners can participate in."Exactly. The new Sunday races were a big hit, and certain to become a exciting and anticipated part of every Boston Marathon weekend.Note: For results of the BAA 5K, click here.

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